I have lived in Historic Toms River all my life and have fallen in love with its beauty and charm. I always recommend people visit Casino Pier & Breakwater Beach, Double Trouble State Park, and Seaside Heights Beach when they visit Toms River. Double Trouble State Park and Seaside Heights Beach are wonderful places to visit, explore, relax, and just enjoy the beauty of nature. Casino Pier & Breakwater Beach offer a day of exciting fun from rides and games to tasty food. I guarantee everyone will find something to love.
CASINO PIER & BREAKWATER BEACH
Linus Gilbert built Casino Pier in 1932. Originally, the main attraction was a covered Carousel. Ken Wynne added a roller coaster called “The Wild Mouse” in 1960. He also expanded the pier and began renting it out to other venders. In 1963, a Himalaya ride was added to the pier and in 1964 Skyride was added to bring people from the pool to the east end of the pier. As popularity rose, the pier expanded further adding more and more rides like: Jet Star Coaster, log flume, and Luv Bugs indoor/outdoor coaster. A waterpark, Breakwater Beach, was also opened with slides leading to the pool area. Today, the pier also has go-karts, golf, wave pool, food stands, a Ferris wheel, and many more rides.
I have always enjoyed spending warm summer days at Breakwater Beach. It has a water park area intended for small kids to safely play, swim, and slide called the Perfect Storm. It also has several water slides for adults and older children. Salem’s Scream, Revere’s Wild Ride, and Patriot’s Plunge are my favorites. There is even a wave pool that runs every ten minutes. If you’re not in the mood to get wet, there are tons to do and see on Casino Pier. The pier has roller coasters and tons of other rides like the bumper cars, Crazy Crabs, and Disk’O. They even have rides for young kids to enjoy too. The pier has games, an arcade, and delicious food. There really is something for everyone at Casino Pier & Breakwater Beach.
DOUBLE TROUBLE STATE PARK
Double Trouble State Park covers 200 acres of land, along with the village and bogs surrounding it. Double Trouble State Park was once home to a cedar forest that was harvested for wood by a lumber company from the 1700s to the 1900s. As the trees were cleared, a bog was created. Double Trouble Village was created in the 1860s to grow and harvest cranberries in the bog, created by the lumber company. Double Trouble Village became one of the largest cranberry growers by the 20th century, but the industry came to a close in the early 21st century. Today, you can still visit the site of the bogs and Village.
Double Trouble State Park is one of my favorite places to go hiking and take pictures of nature and the old Village. Cedar Creek is beautiful and great for kayaking. There are also mountain bike and horse trails. You can fish or just go and enjoy a picnic lunch. If you are looking to spend some quality time in the great outdoors, I think of no better place than Double Trouble State Park.
SEASIDE HEIGHTS BEACH
Seaside Heights Beach is one of my favorite beaches to visit. It is located near Casino Pier & Breakwater Beach. It is a lovely beach to spend the day with your toes in the sand, reading a good book, while tanning on the beach. When you get warm, you can take a dip in the cool ocean water.
If you are looking for a bit more adventure, you can also surf the waves. Many surfers enjoy the beach year round. You can also rent fun equipment like: kayaks, stand-up paddleboards, peddle boats, and wave runners. You can even fish from the docks. A visit to Seaside Heights Beach will never disappoint.
Toms River is really an amazing town full of great people and tons of fun places to see and explore. My three favorite attractions in Toms River are: Casino Pier & Breakwater Beach, Double Trouble State Park, and Seaside Heights Beach. All three locations offer hours of fun. They will have activities the whole family can enjoy and will make you want to visit time and time again.